Seaver College COVID-19 Updates

What should I do if I am experiencing symptoms of a respiratory infection?

If you are experiencing fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, nausea/vomiting, or diarrhea, do not attend class or other in-person events. Please call the Student Health Center (SHC) at 310.506.4316, option 3. Do not visit the SHC without calling first. The SHC staff will provide guidance for your health concerns and make recommendations for next steps. If an in-person visit is needed or recommended, the SHC will assist you in scheduling that appointment. Patients who are recommended for COVID-19 testing should be prepared to quarantine until the test results are confirmed, or isolate if the test comes back positive.

What should I do if I have tested positive for COVID-19 or have had a close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

The University automatically receives test results from tests taken at the Student Health Center and the weekly screening testing sites on campuses. It will begin contact tracing on these cases.

If you have a positive result for COVID-19 from a test conducted outside the University OR if you know you have had close contact with someone who has tested positive and you have not already been contacted by a University contact tracer, report this information to the University using the START Form. (Reminder: close contact is defined as being within six feet of a positive case for 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period.)

How do I continue to learn successfully if I am quarantined or isolated as a result of COVID-19 infection or exposure?

1. Do not attend class. Use the START Form if your positive test was administered outside of Pepperdine University. 
2. The SHC will verify your need for quarantine or isolation and communicate with OneStop. 
3. There may be a delay as the information about illness, positive COVID test, or quarantine is confirmed by SHC. During this period of time, you should let your professors know that you will be missing class. You may share whatever health information you wish in this communication.
4. Once SHC has verified your need for quarantine or isolation, your professors will be notified through class rosters that you are officially approved for remote instruction for a particular period of time. This notification will not reveal personal health information, but you are free to inform your professors about anything you wish.
5. During the approved period of time for remote instructions, professors will provide remote access to class in a manner of their choosing. This remote access may be synchronous (such as access via Zoom) or asynchronous (such as a recording or alternative assignment). Be sure to communicate individually with each professor so that you are clear about the procedure for each class.
6. Once the approved period of time has passed, professors will expect you to return to class. Should you have any questions, you may reach out to OneStop directly, but please do not call the Student Health Center about class-related questions.

How do I return to class following quarantine or isolation?

When you qualify to end your quarantine or isolation period, you should complete the EXIT Form. This communicates to the University you have met the qualifications to exit and are leaving isolation or quarantine. It also generates an email sent to you, which can be used to confirm your ability to return to class or work if needed (class rosters will also be updated). Complete this form on the last day of your quarantine or isolation period. For most this will be day 10 and you will leave day 11. For some who qualify to test out, you will complete this form on the day you test (Day 5 or later) and you will leave the day after your qualifying negative test.

What is the difference between quarantine and isolation?

The Student Health Center has a helpful webpage with this information.

I am ill, but I am waiting for a COVID-19 test result or have received a negative test. Should I attend class?

No, you should not attend class if you are actively ill with fever or respiratory infection.

How do I learn successfully if I have a short-term, non-COVID-19 illness?

1. Students who are actively ill with a fever or respiratory symptoms should not attend class, even if they have received a negative COVID test. You should be fever free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medication and 2 consecutive days of significant symptom resolution before returning to class. 
2. Do not ask the Student Health Center (SHC) for a doctor’s note. The SHC does not provide doctor’s notes. 
3. Inform your professors of your situation and work with them individually to determine how best to complete the required coursework. Faculty may choose to provide synchronous remote access (such as access via Zoom) or some kind of asynchronous access (such as a recording or alternative assignment).
4. You should only stay away from class as long as you are actively ill. We expect that in most cases, such a need will last no more than one week. 
5. In the case of a more serious illness  that may require you to remain out of class for a longer period, the SHC may ask OneStop to email your faculty directly. You may also reach out to your faculty and OneStop in this case. If you need additional help related to a specific class, you may contact the divisional dean of the division that oversees that class. 
   
   

What if I am facing a longer non-COVID-related health challenge?

If you have a long-term health challenge that requires you to miss a significant period of class time, you should reach out to OneStop, the Student Care Team, and/or the Office of Student Accessibility.

Travel and Visas for students currently outside of the United States

Most continuing Pepperdine students have valid visas, however, students admitted since the COVID-19 outbreak are most affected by US embassy closures or delays still being reported. Please refer to their websites for specific visa appointments and processing wait times. Please contact the Office of International Student Services if you are facing any issues obtaining a visa at: oiss@pepperdine.edu. 

All requested I-20s that are requested through the OISS portal will be delivered to the students’ Pepperdine email.